Euthanasia Originally, the term "physician assisted suicide" meant the provision by a physician of the means of which a suffering, terminally ill patient could initiate his or her death. The "euthanasia" means the killing of a terminally ill person to end his or her suffering. Now, by practice, the term "physician assisted suicide" has been expanded in meaning to include the administration of a lethal substance by a physician to a suffering patient-a form of …showed first 75 words of 864 total…

…showed last 75 words of 864 total…patients have made "rational" choices for suicide, are not these physicians assisting them in ethically questionable acts? Don't physicians who assist suicide help to create an atmosphere of distrust between physicians and patients? For isntances, if the physician cannot cure you, will he care for you or will he kill you? It is reasonable to conclude that physicians who are involved in assisting suicide are doing a disservice both to their patients and their profession.